Ok guys heres the deal. I have a plenum spacer that I've been using for the last year, have spacers to raise the strut bar. Never had an issue with clearance or rubbing...

I just installed coilovers a couple days ago, decided to go for a drive today to see how they felt. I noticed a lot of vibration once I stepped on the accelerator. Every time I would take off from a stop the whole car/gas pedal would vibrate. I stopped and popped the hood and right off the bat I could see my strut bar was rubbing against the top of the plenum. If you've never installed coilovers, you do have to take off the strut bar to unbolt the front shocks. So my first thought was maybe I didn't put the spacers back on the strut bar,.... but I doubled check and they were there....

Its almost like my engine lifted or something. I was thinking maybe my engine mounts were bad .. I always jack the front of the car up by the location you see in the picture



Do you guys think by jacking from that point it could have possibly raised the engine or something? Once I get home from work I'll get underneath and inspect more thoroughly, but I just wanted to see if you guys have any ideas or have experienced this problem. Thanks.

 

Stock strut bar? Did you install strut bar before putting the wheels back on the ground or after?

 

^ Yes stock strut bar. Aww, you know what... I do believe i put it back on after the car was on the ground. Think that is the problem?

 

Try tightning the nut on the strut bar. If you put the bar on after tightening the upper strut mount nuts and putting the car on the ground, then there is less load on the strut bar.

 

I think the proper way to do it would be to raise both wheels off the ground, take off the strut bar, loosen the upper strut mount bolts, put the strut bar back on, hand tighten the strut bar bolts, drop the car, tighten the upper strut mounts bolts to spec then the strut bar mounts to spec.

 

There's a simple procedure for tightening the nut properly. Install the strutbar then tighten the center nut about 1¾ turns then tighten the two locking nuts. That is how you get the proper preload on it and provide proper spacing to the hood and plenum. If you need more clearance to the plenum, you have to add washers under the strut bar mounting bolts.

 

Thanks guys. I guess I tighten down the adjustment nut a little to tight on the strut bar. I initially drove about 5 miles no problems, and then it started rubbing on the plenum. All fixed now though. Thanks again.